Budget Committee Recommends that General Assembly

Fill Vacancies in 6 Subsidiary Bodies

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today moved to fill upcoming vacancies in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and five other bodies that help manage the United Nations vast human resources and keep its finances on track.

The dozens of recommendations will be forwarded to the General Assembly for adoption during the sixty-eight session. The five other bodies considered today were the Committee on Contributions, Investments Committee, Board of Auditors, International Civil Service Commission and Independent Audit Advisory Committee.

Fifth Committee delegates first turned their attention to the six pending vacancies on the 16-member Advisory Committee. Also known as the ACABQ, that body plays a crucial role in helping the Fifth Committee examine the Organization’s budget and numerous management initiatives put forth by the Secretariat.

The Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment of Toshihiro Aiki (Japan), Devish Uttam (India) and Zhang Wanhai (China) from the Group of Asia-Pacific States; Carlos Ruiz Massieu (Mexico) from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Richard Moon (United Kingdom) and Catherine Vendat (France) from the Group of Western European and other States.

These six ACABQ members would serve for three-year terms that begin 1 January 2014.

The Fifth Committee then turned its attention to the Committee on Contributions, which advises the General Assembly on the apportionment of the Organization’s expenses among the Member States. It recommended by acclamation six persons for the half dozen three-year slots that would begin with the first of the year.

They included Ali A. Ali Kurer (Libya) and Jean Pierre Diawara (Guinea) from the Group of African States; Bernardo Greiver del Hoyo (Uruguay) and Pedro Luis Pedro Cuesta (Cuba) from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Gordon Eckersley (Australia) and Ugo Sessi (Italy) from the Group of Western European and other States.

Turning to the four vacancies that would emerge on the nine-member Investments Committee on 31 December 2013, the Fifth Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment of Simon Jiang ( China) and Achim Kassow ( Germany) as regular members of the Investments Committee for a three-year term of office that begins 1 January 2014. Ivan Pictet ( Switzerland) and Michael Klein ( United States) were recommended by acclamation as regular members for a one-year term that also begins 1 January, while Gumersindo Oliveros ( Spain) was recommended by acclamation as an ad-hoc member for a one-year term that also begins in 2014.

The Investments Committee meets quarterly to review investment policy and provide advice to the Secretariat regarding the investments of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund.

In a first round of voting by secret ballot, the Committee recommended the appointment of Shashi Kant Sharma, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, from the Group of Asia-Pacific States to fill a vacancy on the Board of Auditors. Mr. Sharma would begin his six-year term on 1 July 2014. The Government of the Philippines had nominated Maria Gracia Pulido, the Chairperson of the Commission on Audit of the Philippines. (See details of voting results below.)

The Fifth Committee then turned to the appointments of the 15-member International Civil Service Commission, which regulates and coordinates the conditions of service of the United Nations common system. The Committee backed by acclamation the appointment of Minoru Endo (Japan) from the Group of Asia-Pacific States; Luis Mariano Hermosillo (Mexico) from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States; and Aldo Mantovani (Italy), Curtis Smith (United States) and Wolfgang Stöckl (Germany) from the Group of Western European and other States. They would begin their four-year terms on 1 January 2014.

Mr. Stöckl was then designated by acclamation as the Commission’s Vice-Chair. His full-time post also would begin with the new year.

Finally, the Fifth Committee turned to the three vacancies which would emerge on 31 December 2013 at the Independent Audit Advisory Committee, which helps the Assembly meet its audit and other oversight responsibilities. The Committee recommended by acclamation the appointment of Natalia A. Bocharova ( Russian Federation) from the Group of Eastern European States. Since no nominations were received for the two vacancies designated for the Group of Asia-Pacific States and the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Committee recommended postponing the appointment of the two additional members.

The Fifth Committee will reconvene at 10 a.m. Wednesday, 6 November, to discuss the pattern of conferences.

Voting Results for Board of Auditors

Asia-Pacific States (1 Seat)

Number of ballot papers:

186

Number of invalid ballots:

0

Number of valid ballots:

186

Abstentions:

0

Number of Members present and voting:

186

Required majority:

94

Number of votes obtained by nominees:

Shashi Kant Sharma ( India)

124

Maria Gracia Pulido ( Philippines)

62

Background

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) met this morning to take up its agenda item on appointments to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other appointments. The Committee had before it the Secretary-General’s notes on Appointment of members of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (documents A/68/101/Rev.1 and A/C.5/68/4); his note on Appointment of members of the Committee on Contributions (documents A/68/102/Rev.1 and A/C.5/68/5/Rev.1); his note on Confirmation of the appointment of members of the Investments Committee (documents A/68/103 andA/C.5/68/6); his note on Appointment of a member of the Board of Auditors (documents A/68/104 andA/C.5/68/7); his note on Appointment of members of the International Civil Service Commission (documents A/68/105/Rev.1 and A/C.5/68/8 and Add.1); and his note on Appointment of members of the Independent Audit Advisory Committee (documents A/68/106 and A/C.5/68/9).

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